BMW i3 Charges at First Ever Public Charging Station with Combo-Charging DC Fast Charging System

A BMW i3 was fully charged in under 30-minutes today at the first-ever public charging station in the US to offer the SAE Combo-Charging fast …

A BMW i3 was fully charged in under 30-minutes today at the first-ever public charging station in the US to offer the SAE Combo-Charging fast charging system. The public charging station is located at the Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego, CA. The optional fast charging system will enable the BMW i3 driver to charge their EV from a standard 110 volt outlet with a cord set, a 220 volt charging wallbox or public charging station and also from a DC Fast Charging public charging station all from the same charging inlet.

“The start of the public DC Combo Fast Charging Infrastructure installations in the US is a great base for the US launch of the new BMW i3, because it will offer our customers the ability to recharge their EV in less than 30 minutes instead of the three hours needed with conventional 220 volt public charging stations” said Cliff Fietzek, Manager Connected eMobility at BMW of North America.

The Combo Charging System is a joint development between most OEMs and the EV industry. BMW and General Motors together tested several Combo Charging Stations from various suppliers both in Munich, Germany and Warren, Michigan. OEMs worked together with the EV industry to confirm a DC combo-charging standard. Major automakers including BMW, GM, Ford, Chrysler, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have committed to adopting the combo fast charge connector standard.

This installation of the first-ever public charging station to use the SAE standard DC Fast Charging Combo Charging System at the Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego, CA is another milestone for BMW on the road to the launch of the Born Electric BMW i3 in the US. The growing DC “Combo” public charging infrastructure in the US will be accessible for the all-electric BMW i3 when equipped with the DC Fast Charging option. Production has begun in Leipzig, Germany of the the BMW i3, which will be available in the US in the second quarter of 2014.

3 responses to “BMW i3 Charges at First Ever Public Charging Station with Combo-Charging DC Fast Charging System”

The key question is will BMW help support the installation of more CCS stations. Nissan is installing hundreds of quick chargers that use their standard and Tesla is doing the same. Making the cars and charging for a DC option is great but if you can’t charge them anywhere what good is it?

The singular SAE “Frankenplug” that is in San Diego is not UL listed, it does not use US specification voltage, and has a special European voltage specification transformer just to power it. Growing isn’t what this charging protocol is doing; it’s moribund.

The Tesla Supercharger network has many dozens of installations in the USA and Europe, each location with 4 to 8 charging stations (the Supercharger in Gilroy, California has 14 stalls): The Tesla Model S all-electric car can now drive from Canada to Mexico, all on the Supercharger network.